A missing command and a bot that cannot act are different problems. Work through the relevant check below before reinstalling an app or broadening its permissions.
The slash command does not appear
- Confirm which app provides the command and whether it was installed to the server or to a user’s account. Account-installed apps may not appear under the server’s Integrations.
- For a server-installed app, open Server Settings → Integrations on desktop and select the app.
- Review access for the affected role or member, the channel, and any override on that specific command. The developer may also set default member permissions.
- Check the member’s Use Application Commands permission. Do not assume that the server owner seeing a command means everyone can see it.
Discord’s Command Permissions guide says commands are hidden from members who lack permission. It also says command-permission changes are made on desktop and apply across platforms.
The bot cannot respond in one channel
Compare the failing channel with a channel where the app works. Review the app’s role under Server Settings → Roles, then review the affected channel’s permission overrides. Look for the specific access the feature requires, such as viewing the channel or sending messages.
Check the developer’s own setup guide as well: a command can be allowed for a member while the bot still lacks the access needed to finish the action. Discord’s app-moderation guide explains the distinction between command controls and bot permissions.
The bot cannot assign a role or moderate a member
Check both the required permission and the role hierarchy. Discord explains that Manage Roles applies only to roles below the actor’s highest role, and that members cannot kick, ban, or change nicknames of users with equal or higher roles.
Move a bot role only if the app genuinely needs to manage a particular lower role. Keep owner and trusted administrator roles above it. Do not move it to the top of the server just to suppress an error. Read Discord’s role-hierarchy explanation before changing the order.
An app is not in Integrations—or only replies privately
The app may be installed to a member’s account rather than your server. Discord calls these external apps. They do not appear in the server-installed app list.
Disabling Use External Apps prevents these apps from posting publicly, but members can still receive private, ephemeral replies. Disabling Use Application Commands also does not eliminate private replies from external apps. Those controls should not be described as a blanket ban on all app use. See Discord’s explanation of external apps.
AutoMod does not catch my test
Check who sent the message and whether the channel or role is exempt. Discord’s AutoMod FAQ says users with Administrator or Manage Server are always exempt from filter rules. Testing from the owner account can therefore give a misleading result.
AutoMod also does not scan messages from apps installed to the server; Discord says it can flag external-app messages. Use an appropriate ordinary-member test, keep alerts private, and review false positives. See the AutoMod beginner guide →
Command visible, but the action still fails?
Keep the non-sensitive error text and check whether the problem affects one member, one channel, or everyone. Review the app developer’s documented feature limits and status information. Do not repeatedly reinstall or pay for an upgrade until you know whether the failure is access, configuration, a plan limit, or a service problem.
Still stuck? Stop broadening access
Check the app developer’s status and support information. Give support the command name, a non-sensitive error message, the affected channel type, and the checks you already tried. Never share a bot token, password, recovery code, or private moderation evidence.
If behavior is unexpected, pause the workflow and review the app’s access. Understand permissions and message privacy before deciding what to restore.
Official app, command, role-permission, and AutoMod documentation reviewed October 19, 2026. This guide does not claim every app uses the same commands or setup flow.